GOSHEN -- The Brooklyn rabbi convicted of masterminding the murders of Gerald and Francis Piscopo was sentenced Wednesday to two consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole, plus two consecutive sentences of 8 1/3 to 25 years.

The Piscopos, a nephew and uncle, were shot execution-style Nov. 4, 2010, in a vacant house on Liberty Street in Newburgh's Washington Heights neighborhood.

On Feb. 10, after a case beset by three and a half years of delays, a jury convicted Victor Koltun of three counts of first-degree murder, as well as second-degree conspiracy and gun possession. They found him guilty of hiring two ex-cons to carry out a plot to kill Francis Piscopo, 49, to halt his aggressive efforts to collect a debt from Koltun, and Gerald Piscopo, 28, who had driven his uncle Francis to the meeting.

The shooter, Frank Lewis, and lookout Craig Fennell each pleaded guilty in 2011 to conspiracy. Lewis is serving 12 1/2 to 25 years in prison and Fennell is serving five to 10 years.

At the start of Wednesday's proceeding, Koltun attempted to file a motion claiming ineffective assistance of counsel and seeking a delay because had has filed complaints about his lawyer and prosecutors with the state's lawyer grievance committee and with the U.S. Attorney.

Judge Nicholas De Rosa denied the applications.

Francis Piscopo's son Frank Piscopo Jr., and Gerald Piscopo's sister, Tara Piscopo, read letters from the family at the sentencing. The letters described the family's pain and anguish and loss, and defended the memories of Francis and Gerald Piscopo as men who were flawed, but who had good hearts and who lived and cherished their families.

The family and Senior Assistant District Attorney David Byrne asked De Rosa to impose the maximum sentence allowed.

Koltun and his lawyer, Glen Plotsky, said the rabbi maintains his stance that he hired Lewis and Fennell as protection, not to kill anyone.

Koltun said he is innocent of the charges.

As De Rosa imposed the sentence, he told Koltun that the men he had hired were clearly monsters, without any compunction about killing.

"Those who conspire and consort with monsters to commit heinous crimes are probably monsters themselves," De Rosa said.